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Atlantic Ocean
Navigation technical data:
Departure: March 27th, 2007 - Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands)
Arrival: April 2nd, 2007 - Funchal (Madeira)
Miles traveled: 350
Layover: Archipelago of Islas Salvages (Portugal)
Study Location: Madeira Island, March 30th and 31st, 2007
The monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. The species is described as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which goes right before the "extinguished in freedom" category. Furthermore, monk seals have been listed in appendix I of various conservation entities, such as the CITES Agreement about trade of endangered species, the Bonn Convention for the conservation of migratory species, the Berne Convention for the Conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats, and the Habitats Directive of the European Union.
The monk seal is the only pinniped that has adapted to the warm waters of the Mediterranean sea. Nowadays, the monk seal population is not larger than 500 individuals and it is only distributed in some parts of the eastern Mediterranean sea (Greece and Turkey), in isolated areas of Africa (Morocco and Libya), and in a couple of colonies located in the Atlantic ocean (Western Sahara and archipelago of Madeira).
Monk seals shelter in inaccessible caves which are protected from the waves and often in remote areas away from human population. Some of these caves even have underwater entrances not visible from the surface, which allow for better protection and isolation.
While in the past monk seals were mostly present on large sandy beaches, they have presently moved to sub-optimal and marginal habitats, which suggests a response adaptation to human pressure through hunting and fishermen persecution, as well as coastline urbanization and increased tourism.
Watch the final report in PDF format:
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 Monk seal
 One of the caves surveyed
 Inside a cave
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